Lotus Farm Siem Reap

The Lotus Farm is a unique workshop in the world.  It aims to present in detail though in an entertaining manner, the exceptional production of the most ecological fabric made from lotus fiber.

After a guided presentation of the Sacred Lotus Flower and its symbolic meaning in the Asian cultures, the Lotus Farm offers visitors the opportunity to experience each stage in the creation of this luxurious and rarest fabric:

• The harvest, or the way to gather the Lotus Flowers stems to keep the best quality of material,
• The spinning, which consists to transform the Lotus fibers in a high quality thread. This very complex process must be realized exclusively by hand.
• The weaving, from the preparation of the loom to the finished lotus fabric,
• The re-use of the Lotus wastes which offer unique medicinal, nutritional and cosmetic properties.

A presentation film, a sensorial discovery, a sampling of by-products derived from the lotus plant and a gifts shop complete the guided tour. Soft-drinks and restrooms are available for customers. 

A fairtrade company

In South Asia, the sacred Lotus is omnipresent in religious history. For Buddhists, it’s a symbol of every man and woman’s ability to surpass their conditions, no matter their origin, and accomplish themselves, just like the lotus flower growing tall until it floats above the muddy waters. As such, everyone has the potential to elevate themselves and to reach Buddha’s state “without letting the world pollute them, like a lotus on water” as spoken by the Lotus Sutra, one of Buddhism’s most important educational texts.

Equally a symbol of fertility and erudition, as well as longevity, the plan on which Buddha is frequently seen sitting expresses all the promises of the future and of becoming a better man. We can equally read the Sutra as an encouragement to actively engage in others’ lives as well as society.

Samatoa believes in the symbolic strength of this text and it’s using this same positive and humanist dynamic that it has developed its economical, social and environmental project, allowing vulnerable women from small Cambodian village to become autonomous, to live and to support their family decently.